A Deal With The Devil
by dshell99
Summary: When dealing with life and death, what would you give for just a little more time? Disclaimer: I don't own Ed, Edd, N Eddy. I only own my OC, plot bunnied with PheonixFire87. Rev!Edd belongs to Asphyixon.


Kevin looked at the woman laying in the hospital bed and _sobbed_.

He had flown out as soon as Eddy's mom called him with the news.

She had collapsed in the grocery store after a _quick run_ to the cancer center in the city for her daily dose of chemotherapy treatment. The coma came instantaneously.

On the one hand, he was angry with her for lying to him for the last five years.

On the other, he didn't blame her because he knew she didn't want to worry about her and just live his life.

 _But..._

After his father died his sophomore year of high school, they were all each other had.

* * *

Freshman year of high school, he came to his parents with his feelings regarding who he _liked liked._ Boys and girls alike got his little motor running but both sides of his strongly devout Roman Catholic family disowned him because of it. But his parents refused to let him go and supported any relationship he found himself in.

When his dad was killed by a wayward drunk driver, the family came back out of the woodwork to lay blame for the motorcycle accident at Kevin's feet.

His _sin_ got his father killed.

Also, there were a few _things_ that a few of his brothers and sisters had their eyes on.

And one cousin had the gall to mention that he wanted his Harley that had been totaled in the wreck.

He figured he could restore it and maybe the family's _good name_ by doing what Kevin apparently couldn't and bringing another _girl_ home and a few babies to boot.

But his father's forethought left their hands empty and his mother booted their cold souls from her driveway and made sure they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the next time they saw each other, _God_ would be there, too.

* * *

 _Now,_ a doctor tells him that he had better call a priest because she was well on her way to meeting the world's most popular deity.

The breast cancer wasn't just a few lumps in her chest; it had spread like wildfire throughout her body and was dangerously close to metastasizing into her bones.

Once there, her chances of survival were nil.

But he's chances of getting a priest in Peach Creek, Lemon Brook, or even the city for that matter were nil as well because the many Catholic churches in the area knew that the Barr's were all but excommunicated from the diocese because of Kevin's _lifestyle choices._

So he trudged down to the hospital's chapel to say a prayer, to beg a God he didn't believe in anymore for mercy for her as she was all he ever had.

* * *

As he sat in the quiet _holy_ place and tried to get his thoughts together, he felt a sense of foreboding fall over him and quickly stood up to run back to his mom's room to check on her.

But what, well, _whom_ he sat sitting the back of the chapel stopped him in his tracks.

The tall, pale, blue eyed man in the back of the room locked eyes with him and Kevin felt overwhelmed with a strong sense of _darkness_ in what was supposed to be holy place.

 _"Anything?"_ The man asked knowing the answer to the _request_ that laid in Kevin's soul.

"Y-Yes," Kevin muttered quietly as he felt like his entire being was being pulled through the ringer in order to wring him dry of _his everything._

The man held his gaze for a brief moment before nodding, then standing and walking out.

As the door clicked closed, the sound of its closing echoing ominously around the small room, Kevin felt relieved for the first time in _days,_ but still rooted to the spot for some reason. After taking several deep breaths to shake himself loose of whatever it was that was holding him still, he went to the altar, lit a candle and gave a prayer of thanks.

The candle went out as soon as his back was turned and the room went completely dark when he walked out.

* * *

When he got back to his mother's ICU room, he found that she had been taken to a general recovery room.

The doctors were calling her recovery a miracle, the nurses were just thrilled to pieces to see her _awake,_ and the priest actually stopped by to say a prayer of blessing over her and serve her communion.

Kevin _politely_ declined the ritual.

* * *

As he left, he saw a nurse and two orderlies come on shift.

He recognized Ed because he was just as tall he was so it was easy to spot him in a crowd, and Eddy for sure, as the man peaked in high school at a solid 5'7 of muscle.

The blue eyed nurse gave him a quick smile before faint look of recognition fell in both their eyes.

 _"Edd?!"_

 _"KEVIN!_ Oh my word, I haven't seen you in _ages,"_ Edd grinned as he opened his arms for a hug that Kevin quickly wrapped himself up in, happy to see another friendly face after such a long, weary day.

"Yeah, I had to come and see about Ma," he sighed and Eddy cocked a brow.

"How is she?" The shortest Ed asked warily.

"Good, actually! She just came back to us out of _nowhere,"_ Kevin breathed as the sight of his mother sitting up and talking and fussing with the nurses when he walked into her room popped back up in his head.

"Good deal," Eddy smiled as he gave Ed a shove. "Let's go, Lumpy. Bedpans don't change themselves!"

Kevin snorted as Edd patted his arm in some sort of reassuring way and gave him a quick wave goodbye before hurrying to catch up with his friends.

The bright look in his eyes gave Kevin some hope that things would continue to be alright.

* * *

From a dark corner, Eddward spotted three old friends he hadn't seen since _The War_ and his cold blood started to boil.

The warm vial in his pocket remained oddly steady.

* * *

A week later, Kevin is pushing his mother's wheelchair to the door as she fusses about him _babying_ her and Edd gives him a few instructions on how her convalescence care _should_ go if the stubborn Irish lass would be good and rest as the doctors told her to.

"You guys said I was _healed!"_ She huffed as Kevin rolled her to the car parked on the curb.

"You are well on your way there," Edd said as he opened the passenger side door. "But to be fully healed _and in remission_ , you _have_ to let your body _rest,_ Ms Molly! The human body can only take so much trauma before it quits and yours has had quite enough, young lady."

"He called me, _'young lady,'"_ She grinned to her son, who blushed as he rolled his eyes, picked her up out of her wheelchair and put her in the car. "I like him!"

"You always did, Ma," Kevin sighed as he buckled her in and quickly shut the door before she could embarrass him further.

Edd did his best to ignore their banter like he had done _all week_.

* * *

When Kevin came out, it made it easy for Edd to come out as well, even if he waited til junior year to do so.

Kevin was _bi,_ so girl dates were still _okay_.

He was always _tough,_ so not too many people made an issue of his dating guys, lest they meet his fist, but Edd was sure he wouldn't be given the same leeway as all he wanted to date was guys.

But Kevin had full on relationships with three different guys and no one was maimed or killed during or after said relationships, just some bruised hearts and busted egos, so Edd finally came out to not much fanfare, a new wingman in Kevin, and a mother hen in Eddy.

Nothing came of their slight mutual flirting between Edd's coming out and graduation. After graduation they went their separate ways, Edd to a good nursing school in the middle of Missouri and Kevin to Minnesota to play football and _hockey_ of all things.

Edd came back to Peach Creek after he graduated, but Kevin found a good job helping to train semi pro basketball and hockey players in Maine.

With his Ma sick, Edd knew he was going to back awhile, so falling back into an easy banter with Edd and his friends that they developed in high school was a no brainer.

He had been gone a few years so things had changed in town and he wanted to see them and the rest of their friends, too.

 _And maybe..._

Just as soon as he got his Ma healed up.

* * *

"Look, she's gonna want you to stop by and stuff," Kevin said as he leaned against the car, ignoring his mother's continued fussing.

"I will," Edd said with a firm nod. "When are you headed back? We need to look into care services for her after -"

Kevin cut him off with a wave of his hand and said, "I had them transfer me to the city and I'll be training the baseball team there. I can't leave her alone again."

Edd caught the scared look in his eyes and placed both hands on his shoulders as he said, "Kevin, she'll be just fine as long as she listens to her doctor's orders and _rests._ But I'm glad you're back."

Edd's grin cut through him like a lawnmower's blade through high grass giving the plot under it a fresh start and Kevin took his second truly relieved breath in days.

"Yeah me, too," the redhead blushed shyly before rolling his eyes at his mother going on about them just making a " _date of it all already!"_ "But you call for sure! She likes you and Nazz best, sooo..."

"Yeah, I'll be by," Edd giggled. "I'll even bring cookies!"

"You hitting on my Ma, Dork?" Kevin said as he looked down at him through teasing narrowed eyes.

"Sorry, she's not my type," Edd shrugged with a wink before walking away.

Kevin stood there dumbfounded for a brief moment before his Ma's harping about starving to death brought him back to reality and he hopped in the car to take her back home.

* * *

As Edd walked back into the hospital, he thought he caught glimpse of a familiar beanie not unlike his ever present own near the nurse's smoking station just outside the ambulance bay out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned to be sure, there was nothing there.

But the ladies smoking in the area seemed be a bit hot as sweat broke out across their weary faces.

He just pulled his jacket closer against the February wind and ran inside.

* * *

Monthly visits turned into weekly visits.

And a good four months after Kevin moved back to Peach Creek, the visits with his Ma dropped, but he and Edd's get togethers became more frequent.

Making a _date of it all_ had Kevin's nerves on edge because Edd had gone from another kid he harassed growing up, to a really good acquaintance and he didn't want to mess their _friendship_ up even though he really wanted to take it _all_ into a deeper _relationship._

When Edd suggested meeting up for coffee before he went home after another twenty four shift because he had to decline Kevin's lunch date with his Ma the day before, Kevin hinted that he would probably be coming _alone_ as his Ma was going to be busy making brunch for her bridge club.

And Edd _gushing_ about actually getting a _date_ with the _coolest guy in school_ made Kevin feel some kind of way.

A damn good way.

* * *

When Edd showed up, Kevin got to see a side of the dork only a few saw, but truly wanted to keep to themselves because it was so sweet.

Edd could flirt and tease in a way that had Kevin yearning for more, but he was never so _overt_ with it as to make the situation take a turn that would push their budding friendship into awkward territory that led to way too many regrets.

But Kevin made sure he was free for dinner the following Thursday.

Dinner led to breakfast because they sat up all night just _talking._

With their colleges on different schedules, they were like ships in the night when it came to breaks and that was _if_ they came home, so much catching up was to be had.

After breakfast, they _crashed_ in Kevin's bed at Edd's insistence because he knew sleeping on a couch just wasn't the best way to get rest when he had a good sixteen hour work shift to look forward to when he woke up.

Kevin took him to work that night and made Eddy promise that he would make sure Edd got home okay if Kevin couldn't be reached after they got off.

And thus, a _routine_ of sorts began.

* * *

Though you couldn't get them to _call it that_ for a good three months, they'd have a _date night_ once a week, usually the day before Edd's shorter shifts. They'd stay up late talking, catching late night movie premiers, playing video games, or binge watching copious amounts of Netflix that Edd's schedule wouldn't allow him to see in slightly lighter doses.

The best part of all this for the both of them was waking up to someone who cared about him in a way a mother nor a friend ever could. The intimacy wasn't physical outside of an arm held to help keep him close in a crowd, a hug in greeting and farewell, or a cuddle on the couch while they watched Netflix or played another video game.

But what they did have ran so deep in the roots of their shared past, that what was blossoming was like a tulip; even in the cold and dark, what had been planted would nourish it so that when the time came, it would come forth bright, colorful, full of the richness of life.

Edd would drop his car off at Kevin's place the day of the date night, and Kevin or Eddy would take him to work with Kevin picking him up after his shift.

But the day Kevin overheard some of the other nurses tease him about rushing off to meet up with his _boyfriend_ as he did his best to catch up his replacement for the evening before doing the quickest jog out the door that he could, Kevin actually wondered if he had a chance with the man who shared his bed for a few hours every week.

So that night, they went _out_.

* * *

It was a full on formal date with dinner at small bistro, a rose for Edd over the appetizers, one of the best Pinot Noir's the place had for dinner, but when Edd spotted Kevin trying to get the violinist attention, he grabbed his knee as he said in a hissed out whisper, _"Please don't."_

"Why not?" Kevin asked sadly and Edd wanted to nothing more than to reassure him that everything was alright, but _hide in the floor_ at the same time.

"Because you don't need to," he smiled. "This is all _plenty."_

"I dunno," Kevin muttered as he poked at the foie gras on his plate. "I thought you'd like this"

 _"I do,"_ Edd said as he scooted his chair next to Kevin's instead of across from him. "I just like _being with you_ a wee bit more."

 _"Oh."_

"Yeah," Edd grinned and Kevin _knew,_ but he couldn't help but need some clarification that the other nurses would _never_ miss.

"So if I came up for dinner, who am I looking for?"

"Me," Edd said sweetly and Kevin groaned.

"Edd."

"Kevin."

"Double Dee, _please,"_ Kevin pleaded.

"You never know til you ask," Edd shrugged, a shit eating grin crossing his face and Kevin wondered how he got in so deep with the ravenette and how he could make sure he _never got out._

"I'm gonna say I'm looking for my boyfriend."

"And your boyfriend will be working in the Peds Oncology ward, so you're gonna have to meet him in the cafeteria," Edd said, hoping Kevin would get both the hint that he was ready for this change in their relationship and that he just couldn't walk in the door expecting to be greeted as the hottie boyfriend of one of the best nurses in the building because that nurse had serious work to do.

"I'll have Ma make y'all some cookies," Kevin said as his eyes lit up in a whole new way when he looked at him.

Blue eyes sparkled under his gaze, and at the bar, the bartender's baby blue's grew dark as a sly grin crossed his face.

* * *

Molly's cookies and Kevin's lunch and dinner visits brightened up what could be dark days in the one place in Peach Creek that faced Heaven and Hell head on.

Ed called the hospital _purgatory_ because of what happened within its walls and his friends agreed with him.

They would never move beyond their place within the spiritual and earthly planes, they were merely guides.

Seeing humanity beg and plead for more time made them merciful as they went about their work, but being exposed to Kevin's kindness and then his love made Edd a bit blind as to what was going on around him. He figured that _things happened,_ but love was always there to help us keep hope for better.

Even as traumatic accidents flooded the emergency room or when devastating weather brought the small town to her knees.

If Edd could go see Kevin when it was all over, he knew he and humanity would be just fine.

But sometimes, others _just fine_ is our personal worst and getting back to _just fine_ takes _An Act Of God._

* * *

Everything had been going on well for the past five years.

Molly's cancer was in remission and her overall health had remained steady.

Kevin's work with the minor league baseball team in the city had produced a nice handful of standout players who did well when they were called up to play for the major league team across the state. One player even got signed on and helped take the team to a World Series Championship.

Edd would take work in stride as he always did, but even Ed was becoming wary of his overall bright outlook on things.

Grace and Mercy were keeping humanity alive.

 _Love?_

How could such a strong emotion truly _conquer_ anything on a plane that humanity had insisted on destroying by any means necessary?

* * *

Ed and Eddy did see that having hope in love was a good thing when Kevin proposed to their friend simply because they had seen it with their own parents.

Having someone by your side to take it all on with truly made the living worthwhile.

Especially when you knew you could honestly devote all of eternity to them and them alone.

So they went ahead with happy smiles and full hearts towards a wedding day no one ever truly expected.

But that is the joy of free will; to truly set your own path and turn the unexpected into _perfection._

* * *

The day of the event itself was a bright winter day.

The hoopla of holiday season was over, but with baseball season fast approaching and the spring bringing out all sorts of nonsense as humanity breaks free from her cold chains that winter besets on her as soon as the cold North wind starts to blow, a winter wedding was best as they'd be too busy in the spring and summer to do nothing more than to help others and they wanted the fall to themselves.

Despite her fussing, Molly was bundled against the cold and brought to the church that Edd's parents found that kept an _open mind, open heart_ idiom when it came to anyone who walked through their doors for any reason whatsoever.

Nazz, Sarah, and the Kanker sisters went over the decor with a fine tooth comb to keep Edd from being frazzled about it.

Rolf and Johnny made sure the food was ready to go at Rolf's farm when the wedding ceremony itself was over.

And Jimmy took pictures.

But as the ceremony was about to begin, Nazz rushed into the room the Eds were waiting in with news that Molly had suddenly collapsed and Kevin gotten into such a state about it, that he, too, was suddenly _very unwell._

 _And Edd's world stood still..._

* * *

It took Eddy screaming at him to break him from his reverie but he never felt so lost in his life.

"Eddy, what do we do!?" He all but screamed at his best friend, who was dragging him out of the room and across the expansive vestibule of the church.

But Eddy didn't answer as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number none of the Eds would ever forget.

 _"We've got a problem,"_ he told the person on the other end before quickly ending the call. "Help is on the way," he said as he turned to Edd who was pale and shaken and Eddy prayed _she_ would hurry for once.

* * *

A _hot_ breeze blew through the doors as he walked through as casually as one walks into the grocery store on a Saturday and on seeing him, Edd came back to himself.

"WHAT ARE _YOU_ DOING HERE?!" He roared as he broke into a fighting stance he hadn't had to use in many a millennia.

Edd's wings had broken through his suit jacket and with them the sheath that held his battle sword that he pulled out in one perfect movement.

Since his wings had knocked his two friends back on their asses, they didn't see who Edd was ready to send to Hell, and Eddy took a chance and said, "It's just ANGELA, Edd!"

 _"I think not,"_ Eddward said lowly as he shuddered.

At the sound of the voice God had condemned to Hell, Ed and Eddy broke into their own fighting stances by Edd's side and _never_ had Eddy wanted to remove someone from the existence of _all things_ more.

"And why would _Ang_ be here?" Eddward asked. "I've done nothing wrong."

"If Eddy had to call _ANG,"_ Edd grimaced as he pulled his bow back, "you're in BIG TROUBLE."

"Really now?" Eddward asked darkly. "Why don't we ask _Kevin?"_

Edd's rage at Satan himself mentioning his lover's name would have burnt the church down had she not thrown open the doors to the sanctuary and said, "CEASE THIS MADNESS!"

The Eds and Eddward each took a step back as the woman in charge of Angelic Resources stepped into the vestibule and to say she was _pissed_ at what was going on before her would have been the understatement of _all of eternity._

"Ang, so help me, God had better have told you that He's sending this diabolical personification of _evil itself_ back to Hell or -"

"No," Ang sighed as she cut him off.

"HA!" Eddward scoffed as the Eds recoiled in horror.

 _"But_ you're wrong about six ways from next Sunday, Eddward," she said coldly as she walked towards him. "You _know_ you can't mess in the _personal affairs_ of angels without prior consent!"

"He asked for _anything before_ he decided to pursue this _relationship_ with my brother! She's still mine!" He screamed in anger and Ang cocked a brow.

"Au contraire, Eddward," she said knowingly. _"She_ is a child of God. You don't get His kids and you know it!"

"Then -!"

"Ah, ah, ah," Ang _smiled_ as she waved a finger at him, loopholes being one of her favorite things. "As betrothed to Edd here, he's with us now."

"It's only a _promise_ of marriage," Eddward seethed and Ang giggled as she shook her head over him trying to find a way to have his own way. "Promises can be broken!"

"Don't I know it," the heavenly angels in the vestibule all said at once and his anger at the situation snuffed the candles in the sanctuary out as all the lights flickered.

"He should have known better than to treat me the way He did!" He screamed, his heartbreak of being tossed from paradise coming to the surface again.

"And you should have known better than to think yourself as better than _anyone, especially Him,"_ Ang said simply. "Now hand _it_ over and go back to the Hell you spawned from."

He threw the vial of blood in his pocket at her with scream before disappearing in a heavy cloud of black smoke.

"Dei est spiritus, fluens abluere," she whispered as he left and the smoke cleared. "Spiritus Dei purget," she whispered again, and the church felt like a _church_ again.

Then she eyeballed Edd, who shrank away but Ed held him where he was with a heavy hand.

"Oh, my sweet angel," she said quietly as she walked towards him and he started to cry.

"How could I not see it?" He whispered more to himself then anyone else.

"Time to engage that big ol' brain of yours a bit more," she smiled as she placed a soft hand against his wet cheek. "Love shouldn't make us _blind,_ dear one. It's supposed to open our minds and hearts more to what's going on around us so we can do what we can to keep things going as He intended."

"But I..."

"I know, _I know,"_ she said quietly. "But because of how you chose to see things, I think you saved two souls today, and possibly your own, so there's that," she smiled and he grinned, but it was turned into a serious firm line when she said, "I trust it won't _ever_ happen again?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he nodded firmly and she snorted.

"Good. How about you check on the other groom and Ms Molly, Eddy, and Ed you piece this one back together so we can fulfill this promise," she ordered and the Eds scurried to their assignments as she went back into the sanctuary and lit the place up again.

* * *

The minister spoke of the miracle of love during his small sermon prior to the exchanging of vows and rings and from the back of the room, Angela watched as humanity entertained angels unaware and angels were guided into a new position on their journey here on earth.

Never again did Edd see things as rosily as he did before, but he would never lose his grip on the power of love to do great things for us all.

And Kevin let the love of God back into his life because he knew that only the love of God could give him a love like Edd's.

Never again did he fear losing anything to anyone. The gains he had made in love sent anything that should have scared him, set him on edge, or filled him with fear packing.

 _Because perfect love casts out fear._


End file.
